Swansea Rec Commission to address complaints by Patrick Higgins

The Recreation Commission plans to hold a meeting on Tuesday to address open meeting law violations filed with the Office of Attorney General by member Patrick Higgins.

Deborah Allard

The Recreation Commission plans to hold a meeting on Tuesday to address open meeting law violations filed with the Office of Attorney General by member Patrick Higgins.

Susan Ambroziak, voted as the commission’s chairwoman last week, said she didn’t plan to hold any additional meetings until the Attorney General approves the bylaw created at special Town Meeting to change the commission from an elected to an appointed board.

“As chairman, I wasn’t planning to have another meeting,” Ambroziak said.

Ambroziak, however, was “urged” to hold a meeting by Town Attorney Arthur Frank.

In a letter from Frank to the commission, Assistant Attorney General Hanne Rush said the commission must discuss the complaints made by Higgins, take any necessary remedial action and send the information to her attention in writing.

Ambroziak said the complaints were “nonsense.”

“I have to respond to his claims and get the consensus of the commission,” Ambroziak said.

Higgins alleges in his complaint that Vice Chairman Harold Higgins and Ambroziak made an illegal vote to suspend the commission’s bylaws. He said the two have also made decisions on programs and events outside of posted public meetings, which is a violation of Open Meeting law.

Higgins also alleges that Harold Higgins, while running several meetings, did not announce that meetings were being taped and aired on cable, as is required by Open Meeting law.

“Almost everything is untrue,” Ambroziak said.

She said if she did say something that violated Open Meeting law, it was “not deliberate.”

A strong majority vote at special Town Meeting on Nov. 19 changed the makeup of the commission to an appointed board. The change will not occur until the Office of Attorney General approves that new bylaw. In the meantime, the commission is permitted by law to meet and offer events.

The meeting on Tuesday will be held at 2 p.m. at the commission’s storage building at 175 Wilbur Ave.